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5 players Tottenham must upgrade to compete in the Champions League

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 17: Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur reacts after defeat in the UEFA Europa League round of 16, second leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at White Hart Lane on March 17, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 17: Toby Alderweireld of Tottenham Hotspur reacts after defeat in the UEFA Europa League round of 16, second leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at White Hart Lane on March 17, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 17: Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur takes on Gonzalo Castro of Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Europa League round of 16, second leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at White Hart Lane on March 17, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 17: Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur takes on Gonzalo Castro of Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Europa League round of 16, second leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Borussia Dortmund at White Hart Lane on March 17, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images) /

1. Son Heung-Min

As I wrote at great length in yesterday’s piece, there’s still time for Son to rescue his Tottenham career. As it stands though, Spurs must move to strengthen their attack this summer and that will likely come up at Son’s expense.

Son just hasn’t been effective versus anyone as of late, and that was especially true against Dortmund. Don’t be fooled by the fact that he scored a goal, it was an absolute gift from the German keeper. He failed to establish any sort of offensive rhythm and generally wasn’t a threat at all.

The best potential remedy for Son is to follow the plan that Pochettino used with Erik Lamela this season. He used matches against weaker opponents, particularly in the Europa League to rebuild the young attacker’s confidence gradually. Ultimately that’s helped Lamela become one of Tottenham’s better players as of late. Perhaps next year the same could happen for Son.

Related Story: 10 reasons Tottenham can win the Premier League title

Currently, Tottenham’s lack of a genuine attacking threat off the bench is a huge weakness for Pochettino. Spurs need to spend substantial money to improve their bench options at both striker and attacking midfielder in preparation for next year’s campaign. The current options of Son and Chadli have been completely unable to impact the game at either spot. That has to change next year if Spurs are going to be a serious factor in the Champions League.

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